The Two-Way

7:49 am

Mon January 13, 2014

Ariel Sharon Remembered As Man Of War And Peace

On 'Morning Edition': NPR's Emily Harris reports on the funeral for Ariel Sharon

Israeli soldiers carry the coffin of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday in Jerusalem.

Daniel Naupold DPA/Landov

As Israelis paid their respects Monday to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with a memorial service and funeral, one of his contemporaries on the world stage offered this view of the general and statesman who an iconic and controversial figure:

"He never changed," Blair continued. "His strategic objective never wavered. The state ... had to be protected for future generations. When that meant fighting, he fought. When that meant making peace, he sought peace with the same iron determination."

Sharon, 85, died Saturday. He had been in a coma since suffering a stroke in 2006.

Vice President Joe Biden, who is heading the U.S. delegation to the services for Sharon, also spoke at Monday's memorial. He called Sharon an "indomitable bulldozer. ... The security of his people was his unwavering mission."